Located on a ridge in West Bradford Township, between West Chester and Downingtown, surrounded by the east and west branches of the Brandywine and strategically located between Lancaster and Philadelphia, the Village of Marshallton is a charming National Register Historic District that rose from a few farms and families. 

 

Primarily an agricultural community, Marshallton was established in the 18th century and flourished as a crossroad village due to its proximity to Strasburg Road and nearby waterways. In addition to agriculture, blacksmiths, coopers, shoemakers, and wheelwrights practiced their trades as the village functioned as a rural service center for both travelers and nearby farmers.

 

Within Chester County, Marshallton is the most cohesive and intact village found today featuring 50 century-old dwellings, two historic inns, a restored blacksmith shop, two places of worship, the former town hall and community school, three cemeteries and a few small stores. Three of these historically significant buildings are listed in the National Register: the Humphry Marshall house, a 1773 stone house in the Georgian vernacular; the Marshalton Inn, a double-door Georgian built in 1814 as a hotel; and the Bradford Friends Meetinghouse, dating from 1765 and representative of the Colonial style as seen in Quaker meetinghouses. These structures help us understand and appreciate a critical and formative time in our nation’s history. They illustrate our cultural heritage and connect today’s residents with the past.